Famous opera masterpieces | Featuring many great opera singers

Smetana: The Bartered Bride Overture / Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by István KertészBedrich Smetana

This is the Overture from The Bartered Bride, an opera by Bedřich Smetana—born in 1824, a Czech composer, conductor, and pianist.

Beloved by many for its cheerful story and happy ending, the opera is widely cherished.

The overture is very famous and is often performed on its own.

Eri tu che macchiaviDmitri Hvorostovsky

Dmitri Hvorostovsky – Eri tu che macchiavi from A Masked Ball (CSOTW, 17th June 1989)

From Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera, Renato’s aria from Act 3.

The singer, affectionately known among opera fans as “Dima,” exudes irresistible charm and has an enduring following, especially among women.

In recent years his career was in jeopardy due to illness, but he made a comeback thanks to his innate vitality.

Pelléas and Mélisande (by Debussy)Uīn Hōsō Kōkyō Gakudan

Schoenberg “Verklärte Nacht” Karajan / London Live 1988 — Schoenberg ‘Transfigured Night,’ Karajan, London live performance

It is a delicate opera that you watch while enjoying a world of fantasy and imagination, with the overall palette colored by the style of the Impressionist composer Debussy, and melodies that progress like spoken language through sung French pronunciation.

Its premiere took place at the Opéra-Comique in Paris in April 1902.

Opera: La sonnambula (by Vincenzo Bellini)Kariari Gekijō Shiriko Kangengakudan

La Sonnambula is a delightful opera filled with the elegant melodies that Bellini excels at.

In a Swiss village, the most beautiful girl, Amina, is set to marry Elvino, a wealthy landowner.

However, her sleepwalking leads to a misunderstanding and the engagement is broken off—but in the end, the two are happily united in a heartwarming conclusion.

The Bartered Bride (by Smetana)Cheko Firuhāmonī Kangen Gakudan

Smetana: Overture to the opera The Bartered Bride

Smetana’s The Bartered Bride is an opera that represents the Czech nation.

To portray the villagers, it incorporates rhythms of folk dances such as the polka, creating a work imbued with Bohemian nostalgia.

Thanks to the success of this opera, Czech national music became widely known throughout Europe.

Peter Grimes (Benjamin Britten)Rondon Kōkyō Gakudan

[World Premiere on 6/7] Britten: Opera “Peter Grimes” – Passacaglia, Op. 33b [Naxos Classic Curation #365 Days Classic Calendar]

Benjamin Britten’s opera Peter Grimes is often called the greatest masterpiece of British opera.

It is a work in which the depiction of the town and the music—showing how a person is relentlessly driven into a corner by conflict—are staged with remarkable detail.

Its premiere took place in June 1945 at London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre.

What kindness! (What tranquility! / How sweet the April evening is! / How pleasant the April evening is.)

Composed by Donizetti: What Gentleness — from Don Pasquale — “Come è gentil” ~ Don Pasquale ~ G. Donizetti

It’s one of the songs from the opera Don Pasquale.

Ernesto, the nephew of the wealthy Don Pasquale, has liked Norina since before Pasquale planned to marry her, and Norina, in truth, also loves Ernesto.

In the garden where the two are secretly planning to meet, Ernesto sings this song while waiting for Norina.

From the character of the music, you can feel his irrepressible excitement.